Who has More or Less?: An Addition and Subtraction Game

Suggested Grades

2-4

Objective

Students will practice adding and subtracting mentally as well as attach the words “more” and “less” to adding and subtracting. This is a fun alternative to traditional math drills.

Materials

  • a deck of cards

Method

  • Deal out one card per student.
  • Explain to students that each card is worth its face value: King=13, Queen=12, and Jack=11…
  • Pick one student to go first.
  • The student has to make an equation using his card using the following format: I have a ______, who has ______ more/less? eg: if the student has a seven, they could say, “I have a seven who has two more?”
  • The person who has the card that corresponds correctly to the question has to yell out “I do.” eg: Using our example the person with the 9 card has to yell.
  • Of course there may be more than one student with a 9, but the student who yells “I do” first gets to go next.
  • Keep playing for a predetermined time.